US Slashing Embassy Staff In Cuba Because of Apparent Sonic 'Attacks' (qz.com) 70
PolygamousRanchKid shares a report from The Washington Post (Warning: may be paywalled; alternative source): The United States is yanking more than half its diplomatic personnel from its embassy in Havana and warning Americans not to visit Cuba, saying it is for their own safety after a string of mysterious injuries harmed at least 21 Americans stationed there. "We have no reports that private U.S. citizens have been affected, but the attacks are known to have occurred in U.S. diplomatic residences and hotels frequented by U.S. citizens," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement. "The Department does not have definitive answers on the cause or source of the attacks and is unable to recommend a means to mitigate exposure." Investigators are looking into the possibility that they were subjected to some sort of "sonic attack," among other theories, though it is not clear why American diplomats and a handful of Canadian envoys would be the only ones to complain of symptoms. Cuba has denied having anything to do with the injuries. Among the possibilities being explored is that agents acting on behalf of a third country may be responsible.
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Are you under the impression that they left them on nonstop in predictable locations?
Re:I am baffled (Score:4, Insightful)
Nothing about this "sonic attack" story makes any sense whatsoever from a physics point of view.
This whole thing reeks of "cover story". I think we can all safely assume that we have no idea whatsoever what the truth of the situation is.
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Nothing about this "sonic attack" story makes any sense whatsoever from a physics point of view.
This is Slashdot . . . making sense has never been high up on the priorities here.
This is not the answer that I was looking for . . . I expected a few Slashdotters to chime in that they are building "sonic attackers" in their mom's basement . . . 3D printed, IoT enabled . . . in a Blockchain!
Re:I am baffled (Score:5, Interesting)
This was discussed before. It's most likely highly directional RF (microwaves), which easily penetrate walls, etc, while staying well focused. There are numerous studies where microwaves directed at a person's head will manifest as sounds they can "hear", although it is likely caused by the direct stimulation of the structures in the ear by the radio waves.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
http://grouper.ieee.org/groups... [ieee.org]
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Which is why it is often disguised as part of modern art, lamp sources, ornamentation on furniture, etc.
When the resonating surface is read with the microwave beam, anyone in its path is potentially endangered, especially is the emitter is poorly calibrated, or the operator is incompetent and tries to substitute more power for proper installation and operation.
Without having spend more than a minute of tho
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Well, certainly the youtube sample doesn't make any sense.
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...these are just the Kanye West CD's you've sent us!
-- Fidel
Do you like fishsticks, Fidel?
Gulf of Tonkin, with a side of bossa nova (Score:1)
What a load of false flag horseshit. See if you can spot the direct contradiction in the first two sentences.
Did U Know the Cubans also mind-controlled Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and forced him to use private jets on the taxpayer's dime while Puerto Rico died? Gotta watch them Cubans. I've been their and let me tell you, their sonic weapons will make you dance uncontrollably.
https://youtu.be/wFCG2TIEAjY [youtu.be]
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Reading comprehension not your strong suit?
It says no PRIVATE CITIZENS were injured. The 21 that were injured are government officials.
Re:Gulf of Tonkin, with a side of bossa nova (Score:4, Interesting)
First sentence of TFS:
The United States is yanking more than half its diplomatic personnel from its embassy in Havana and warning Americans not to visit Cuba, saying it is for their own safety after a string of mysterious injuries harmed at least 21 Americans stationed there.
Second sentence of TFS:
"We have no reports that private U.S. citizens have been affected, but the attacks are known to have occurred in U.S. diplomatic residences and hotels frequented by U.S. citizens," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement.
PopeRatzo is right. Those sentences contradict each other. Why would the State Department warn private citizens if only government officials have been affected? There might be a case for avoiding hotels where US diplomats have stayed, but discouraging civilians from visiting Cuba altogether? That seems like fear-mongering.
I have to wonder whether your reading comprehension is up to snuff.
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I bet the Russians did this. They're hacking our Alexas and using them for sonic DoS attacks.
Hmm. That might explain this story. [theonion.com]
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Guile is Cuban now? (Score:2)
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Now that it surfaces he is likely Cuban and prone to guile, it appears my instincts were spot on.
Mass hysteria, anyone? (Score:2)
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Sounds like if the goal was a third party trying to reverse progress in US-Cuban relations, they've partially succeeded already.
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In other words, this is a case of terrorism.
I don't think that is the word we normally use when the russians are doing it.
What is the word: Business as usual?
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Uhhh ... unless someone wanted to sabotage USA-Cuba-Russia relations by framing one of them.
Slashdotters really need to get out of this Russia tunnel vision and realize there's at least ONE major player on the world scale. China.
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I don't think so, as the people reporting the symptoms are a random subset. Having them all be in on this plot just seems impossible, the usual problem with conspiracy theories. And the government could not have caused these symptoms to them without their cooperation, as that has all the same problems of figuring out how the Cubans did it when it looks physically impossible.
Mass hysteria seems to be what is happening.
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Yes, mass hysteria is in fact the only answer that makes sense.
Screams on incompetence, I am afraid! (Score:2)
"The Department does not have definitive answers on the cause or source of the attacks and is unable to recommend a means to mitigate exposure."
Is the whole DoD, with a massive budget unable to mitigate this thing?
Think about it for a second: The most 'technologically advanced' country in the world brought down to its knees by some third-world operating entity! Really?
I know who to blame: "Those Russians."
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Is the whole DoD, with a massive budget, able to mitigate a simple bullet to embassy officials' heads?
Well, yeah, they can, but the techniques they use largely revolve around not putting their people in places where they're going to get shot.
Grenada, Part Deux (Score:2, Funny)
Trump needs a quick war he can win, and he needs it yesterday. His string of failures is starting to make the yahoos restless.
There will be a Trump Hotel & Casino in Havana by the end of next year.
Re: Grenada, Part Deux (Score:1)
What are you rambling on about? You deserve to be modded -1 troll. The US doesn't suspect that the Cuban government is behind the attacks, which is why the attention is possibly on a third country. If Cuba isn't responsible, and nobody seems to suspect they are, there wouldn't be any reason for a war with them. The State Department isn't pointing a finger at Cuba by recalling the staff. But they are responsible for the safety of their staff and to warn Americans of travel dangers. The Cubans don't know what
Microwaves (Score:1)
Based on the symptoms, it's entirely possible that these attacks are using microwaves, not sound. That probably better explains the after effects that some of the victims have experienced. I believe Cuba because they have nothing to gain and everything to lose by attacking American and Canadian diplomats. I tend to think the attacks are state sponsored, given the apparent sophistication and the number of victims. Cuba probably isn't responsible, but this is precisely the kind of thing Russia would do.
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Agreed. People had been assuming sonic because of the hearing loss and the hearing loud noises in the middle of the night, but that could just as well be a symptom of attacks from another sort, since the attacks have clearly done significant neurological damage. Either way, a technically advanced third party who wants to reverse US-Cuban relations seems to be the most probable perpetrator.
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I don't think we can even assume that there are any attacks at all. I'm not saying there aren't, but I am saying the what is being reported on this stuff is obvious nonsense, which leaves us with literally no data on which to even form a hypothesis, let alone draw conclusions.
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Based on the symptoms, it's entirely possible that these attacks are using microwaves, not sound.
Good guess. A lot of younger folks these days don't remember this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Now, when microwaving diplomats, like popcorn, if there are more than two full seconds in-between pops, it's time to stop.
Diplomats are an anachronism (Score:2)
Just get a phone line there and call them.
I figured out the source long ago. (Score:1)
It's a shame we know this (Score:3)
The smart thing to do would have been to evacuate the embassy without telling anybody, possibly leaving behind a skeleton crew who understood the risk. They could pack it with sensors and determine what it was and where it was coming from. It seems plausible that Cuba wouldn't do this, and since Canada has had normal relations with them for years that's an obvious mistake. I'm guessing the Canadian embassy is near the US one; but if it isn't then we have to ask ourselves who would want to mess with both countries? We're probably not going to find out though now, because our hand was tipped... unless we actually know who it is and are deciding not to announce *that*, in which case I stand corrected and might applaud them for a smart move... if I'm alive long enough to see it declassified. That takes what, 50 years usually?
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I'm guessing the Canadian embassy is near the US one; but if it isn't then we have to ask ourselves who would want to mess with both countries?
Over three miles apart, so It's not just collateral damage.
Re:It's a shame we know this (Score:4, Interesting)
Was listening to an NPR interview a while back, one of the guests was former intel and seemed certain it was Russia. I agree that this is a great way for them to try to stifle the warming of relations between the US and Cuba. Notice how certain elements are blaming Cuba for not securing Embassy staff. Great excuse for an anti-Cuba administration to kill normalization efforts.
From the Space Ritual (Score:1)
In case of Sonic Attack on your district, follow these rules:
If you are making love it is imperative to bring all bodies to orgasm simultaneously.
Do not waste time blocking your ears.
Do not waste time seeking a "sound proofed" shelter.
Try to get as far away from the sonic source as possible
Do not panic
Do not panic
Use your wheels. It is what they are for.
Small babies may be placed inside the special cocoons
and should be left, if possible, in shelters.
Do not attempt to use your own limbs.
If no wheels are avai
When the truth is found (Score:2)
This is like playing Clue (Score:2)
IN CASE OF SONIC ATTACK ON YOUR DISTRICT... (Score:2)
FOLLOW THESE RULES!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]